The convergence of content distribution technologies like the Internet, TV, radio and wireless communications is creating new opportunities for consumers to interact with entertainment content from disparate sources. Television broadcasts, for example, prompt viewers to log on to web sites for content relating to current television programming. To enhance interactivity, some forms of broadcast programming carry links to web sites or other interactive features that enable viewers to order products and services. Assignees prior work in this field provides several innovative ways for associating various forms of multimedia content (broadcast, packaged or digitally distributed via network) with related information and services on digital networks. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,122,403, 6,505,160, 6,411,725, and 6,522,769, and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/476,686, 09/660,756, 10/060,049 (Published as 20020162118), and 09/571,422, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Despite the advances in technology fueling the digital convergence, there remain a number of challenges in bringing together traditional broadcast media and Internet content in a user-friendly manner. One particular challenge is synchronizing broadcast content (such as radio or TV programming) with related Internet content on the World Wide Web. Often, it is difficult to integrate promising new technology with the existing infrastructure for broadcast content, so technologies that seem to offer effective convergence of television, radio and Internet entertainment get little traction in the marketplace. To enhance programming like home shopping, game shows, sports etc., broadcasters attempt to present dynamic content on their web sites corresponding to programming in their broadcasts. The conventional way for the broadcaster's audience to get to the appropriate web site is to visit a well-known URL for the web site, such as the front page (e.g. www.shopping.com) rather than having to remember different URLs for different programming topics from the same source, or navigating through a confusing array of web links to find the topic of interest. At the same time, the web site provider would like the user to see content that changes with the broadcast, so that the programming and related web content has the maximum impact for the provider and appears timely and easy to access to the consumer. This is particularly true for e-commerce applications, where the provider is trying to promote products or services. An example of this case is home shopping networks that want to use the broadcast content to drive consumers to purchase products at the broadcaster's web site. This usage model from the consumer's perspective, yet the content at that web site is dynamic.
This disclosure describes methods and systems for synchronizing broadcast and network content, and in particular, synchronizing TV or radio broadcasts with dynamic web content at a web site. It also describes related technology for facilitating linking from broadcast content to related information and e-commerce transactions on a network, including working with a remote portable device, such as a cell phone.
One method detailed in this disclosure synchronizes broadcast content with dynamic network content at a network address. This method extracts an identifier embedded in broadcast content, and uses the identifier to identify corresponding network content. The method then posts the corresponding network content on a network device located at the network address (e.g., a web page at the URL of the broadcaster). The network device (e.g., web server) is responsive to requests sent to the network address to provide the network content over a network. Using this method, the broadcast content is synchronized with the corresponding network content.
This approach enables the content at the broadcaster's fixed web site URL to change dynamically with the broadcast. This approach is transparent to the user, who simply visits the same URL to get more information about current programming or purchase a product currently advertised in current programming as it is aired. The process also has limited effect on workflow for the broadcaster, which is optimal.
Further features will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.